[Dancer3173]

On January 11th 2014 I banged the front right hand side of my head with a metal pole. It landed on my head sideways as opposed to end on. I didn't loose conciousness however I immediately felt sick, dizzy, light headed and a loss of balance. About an hour and a half later my right eye swelled up to the point where I couldn't see out of it unless I physically held my eyelid open. I didn't go to A&E as I had a dance competition the next day so I rested and felt fine the next day.

On the tuesday I was at college and took a turn for a worse. I couldn't see properly everything was blurry and double vision, everything was moving (spinning, wavy effect, moving closer/further away) and I couldn't understand what people we're saying to me or what I was reading I knew they'd spoken to me and I knew I had just read something but it wasn't registering in my brain what it was about. I went to my GP who said it sounded like a concussion and it'd go within 2 weeks.

I continued to get headaches, tinnitus, blurry vision, difficulty understanding people, difficulty getting words out as they seemed trapped in my head, I get words in the wrong place, dizziness, nausea, long and short term memory problems, extreme fatigue, sensitivity to light and noise, disturbed sleep, easily aggravated, difficulty learning new things and a concentration span of less than 30 minutes. I used to rely heavily on a picture memory to remember things for example revision notes, sequences, phone/pin numbers etc but I no longer have this skill.

One of my dance team members dad is a neurosurgeon and said he'd check everything was physically ok ie no bleeding or fragments of bone floating around and this took place in the week commencing 17th Feb and thankfully everything was fine. However since then I have had no further treatment, no assessments and no support offered yet both my GP and the brain clinic I attended claim I am in the system. One woman came out and took notes on my situation in the first week of May and said she'd get back to me with appointments to see clinical psychologists and speech therapist so I can get an understanding of how badly damaged my head still is and how long it will take to get better. This has not happened.

I still suffer with all the symptoms I listed above, I am more frustrated than I was in the first few months mainly because it has been more than 6 months and i'm still no closer to treatment. I had to drop out of college and not sit my final exams as I couldn't remember the information. I can't go get a job as my memory problems stop me from remembering sequences (e.g. working a till, giving directions to a customer to a certain part of a store) and my inability to get words out/understand what people are asking me would stop me from being able to help customers. Therefore I have no money as even if I applied for support from the government i'd be turned down as I have nothing to back my claim up in the form of medical reports.

Any advice on what to do from here and where to go?

[Mark in Idaho]

Dancer,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am sorry to hear of your injury and struggles. You don't say but it appears you are in the UK. Have you checked with Headway ?

The process and available services are different in each country. Have you tried to inquire about your case ?

If you applied for assistance, they might be able to direct you to help.

My best to you.

[Dancer3173]

Originally Posted by Mark in Idaho

Dancer,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. I am sorry to hear of your injury and struggles. You don't say but it appears you are in the UK. Have you checked with Headway ?

The process and available services are different in each country. Have you tried to inquire about your case ?

If you applied for assistance, they might be able to direct you to help.

My best to you.

Thanks for the reply but as per usual I forgot that I posted this!

Yes I am in the UK and I am under the care of an nhs worked who connects patients to the various rehab and treatments that they need. However I have somewhere along this journey got lost in the system and to make it worse I turned 18 meaning I had to transition from child services to adult. The problem now is as I am no longer connected to a neuropsychologist organisations that offer treatment for this don't want to take me but if I try connect to a neuropsych they don't want me as I'm not connected to an organisation. It's a hair pulling situation!

If I talk to my GP about it they don't really understand and say it'll go away in a week or two and everyone else pretty much has the same outlook.

It's been 9 months now and I just want to know things that can help me cope or excersies I can do that will try help recovery. It's very frustrating not being able to work or learn and having the same boring routine day in day out.

[Mark in Idaho]

Here's a link to HeadWay https://www.headway.org.uk/home.aspx

Maybe they can help you get help.

[dawneve]

There is no treatment to speak of....taking best care, laying low, doing nutrients, exercise only when you can, etc.

[SuperElectric]

You need to go back to your GP they have to refer you to a specialist. If you're still experiencing symtoms they have to, if they don't then say you want to speak to the practice manager. If that fails ask Headway to get involved, you have to be insistant to get anywhere with the NHS these days.

[KnockedOutMom]

Originally Posted by Dancer3173

On January 11th 2014 I banged the front right hand side of my head with a metal pole. It landed on my head sideways as opposed to end on. I didn't loose conciousness however I immediately felt sick, dizzy, light headed and a loss of balance. About an hour and a half later my right eye swelled up to the point where I couldn't see out of it unless I physically held my eyelid open. I didn't go to A&E as I had a dance competition the next day so I rested and felt fine the next day.

On the tuesday I was at college and took a turn for a worse. I couldn't see properly everything was blurry and double vision, everything was moving (spinning, wavy effect, moving closer/further away) and I couldn't understand what people we're saying to me or what I was reading I knew they'd spoken to me and I knew I had just read something but it wasn't registering in my brain what it was about. I went to my GP who said it sounded like a concussion and it'd go within 2 weeks.

I continued to get headaches, tinnitus, blurry vision, difficulty understanding people, difficulty getting words out as they seemed trapped in my head, I get words in the wrong place, dizziness, nausea, long and short term memory problems, extreme fatigue, sensitivity to light and noise, disturbed sleep, easily aggravated, difficulty learning new things and a concentration span of less than 30 minutes. I used to rely heavily on a picture memory to remember things for example revision notes, sequences, phone/pin numbers etc but I no longer have this skill.

One of my dance team members dad is a neurosurgeon and said he'd check everything was physically ok ie no bleeding or fragments of bone floating around and this took place in the week commencing 17th Feb and thankfully everything was fine. However since then I have had no further treatment, no assessments and no support offered yet both my GP and the brain clinic I attended claim I am in the system. One woman came out and took notes on my situation in the first week of May and said she'd get back to me with appointments to see clinical psychologists and speech therapist so I can get an understanding of how badly damaged my head still is and how long it will take to get better. This has not happened.

I still suffer with all the symptoms I listed above, I am more frustrated than I was in the first few months mainly because it has been more than 6 months and i'm still no closer to treatment. I had to drop out of college and not sit my final exams as I couldn't remember the information. I can't go get a job as my memory problems stop me from remembering sequences (e.g. working a till, giving directions to a customer to a certain part of a store) and my inability to get words out/understand what people are asking me would stop me from being able to help customers. Therefore I have no money as even if I applied for support from the government i'd be turned down as I have nothing to back my claim up in the form of medical reports.

Any advice on what to do from here and where to go?

So sorry to hear you are still suffering, I wanted to reach out as I am in the same boat. I am over a year out and have now seen many specialists but still get no help, last neurosurgeon told me last week he can no longer help me as the acupuncture and supplements weren't helping. When I go to the brain clinic I feel like I am a benefit for their study and get no information to help me. I've learned myself that there really isn't a magic fix for us, take it easy on yourself and your brain. I wish I had a better answer for you.

[Abbilee]

Hello,
It sounds like we're in similar situations. I'm also in the UK, my accident was in January so I'm about 9 months in with similar symptoms to you.

I only just got referred to the right person, it's taken months and months of arguing with my GP who kept telling me it was anxiety/depression/PTSD.

I'm in the process of a claim and through that I saw a psychiatrist, who said my symptoms were not in line with anxiety/depression and he recommended a referral to a neuropsychologist.

I took that report to my GP who finally referred me and long long story short I've had to be re referred but I'm now finally heading in the right direction.
I'm waiting for my referral letter but I should be having a cognitive assessment in the next 6 weeks.

I'm in contact with headway, they've been really helpful, sent me some fantastic leaflets, they're trying to get me referred for therapy, they're going to help me with my application for benefits etc.

I strongly suggest contacting them, it was enormously helpful just to vent to them and know I was talking to someone who gets it.

I'd be more than happy to chat if you'd like some support, I think it would help me too.
I'll PM you

Abbi x

[Galaxy1012]

Originally Posted by Abbilee

Hello,
It sounds like we're in similar situations. I'm also in the UK, my accident was in January so I'm about 9 months in with similar symptoms to you.

I only just got referred to the right person, it's taken months and months of arguing with my GP who kept telling me it was anxiety/depression/PTSD.

I'm in the process of a claim and through that I saw a psychiatrist, who said my symptoms were not in line with anxiety/depression and he recommended a referral to a neuropsychologist.

I took that report to my GP who finally referred me and long long story short I've had to be re referred but I'm now finally heading in the right direction.
I'm waiting for my referral letter but I should be having a cognitive assessment in the next 6 weeks.

I'm in contact with headway, they've been really helpful, sent me some fantastic leaflets, they're trying to get me referred for therapy, they're going to help me with my application for benefits etc.

I strongly suggest contacting them, it was enormously helpful just to vent to them and know I was talking to someone who gets it.

I'd be more than happy to chat if you'd like some support, I think it would help me too.
I'll PM you

Abbi x

I am also having same issues with every Doctor I meet. I don't know what to do anymore . Can you please tell us what symptoms you have ? How was your MRI? Any improvements in symptoms ?

[Abbilee]

Not sure if you're asking me or dancer, but I had an MRI scan and unsurprisingly it didn't show anything.
Like many on here, my GP used that as a reason not to refer me.

My symptoms are headaches, difficulty learning new things, difficulty making decisions, clumsiness, hyper sensitivity to sound and light, difficulty word finding, short term memory problems, difficulty with sleep, I have had problems with sensory overload, difficulty processing information/generally slow at processing, poor concentration and it might sound silly but I don't get a lot of jokes (very embarrassing).